Senator Adams Oshiomhole has raised concerns over the continued appointment of persons with commercial banking backgrounds managing the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as Governor, a development, which he said been adversarial to the effective functioning of the apex bank.
Oshiomhole who represents Edo North senatorial constituency in the Senate stated his position on Tuesday during the screening of the acting CBN Governor, Yemi Cardoso and his deputies: Emem Nnana Usoro, Muhammad Sani Abdullahi Dattijo, Philip Ikeazor, and Bala Bello.
The lawmaker said, “I want to differ very radically from what seems to be the general view. My view is I am suspicious of people whose main background comes from commercial banking because central banking is about policy. It’s not about marketing. It’s not about seeking profit. It’s about getting monetary policies right with a clear focus on specific macro-economic objectives. Whether it is job creation, stabilizing a price regime, interest regime, exchange rate regime, or all of that.
“Listening to their CVs, people who have managed banks that have gone into liquidation, that cannot be used as positive in their favour. The truth has to be told. I am not suggesting that any one of them is responsible.”
“I am saying, that a doctor who parades the number of people who died under his care cannot forward that to me as a CV for me to appoint him as a surgeon general. I just need them to take note of that.
But what we do in our small places of work, whether the survival of faith, goes to our credit, or discredit, so they should take note,” the Lawmaker added.
Cardoso, the 66-year-old is a professional banker with several years of experience with Chase Merchant Bank, Citi Bank of Nigeria and Citizens International Bank. He served in Lagos State as the first Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget for Lagos State.
